Railway switch



Aug. 12, 1952 E. o. HUMPHREY RAILWAY SWITCH 2 SI-IEETS-Sl-IEEI 1 Filed Sept. 21, 1949 Eugene 0. Humphrey Aug 12, 1952 E. o. HUMPHREY RAILWAY SWITCH 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Sept. 21, 1949 Inventor a Attorneys Eugene 0. Humphrey y @IW Patented Aug. 12, 1952 i 1 YRKILWAY swrrcit iiiignioz adapt-ray, Saltilalke City-J3EE.

I estuar es se temsei 21, 1-949,- s ria1Ne-,- ire-,ste

ably used-'for right or left hand: switches in a right or left hand bed fora right orzleft; hand turnout; whereby only one type of replacement parts need be carrd in stock for repairs-.-

Another object is to generally improve. the switclr construction without sacrificingthe reduir'd standards or strength and safety.

Cither' objects; and advantages" reside in the details of construction and operationas more fully hereinafter described and: claimed,= reference-being had to' the accompanying drawings forming part hereof; wherein like numeralsrefer to like parts throughout, and in whichza.

Figure lis a top plan view;

Figure 2 is anenlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the heel of the switch;

Figure 3 is anenlargd f-ragmentary top plan view of the toe of the switch tongue; H

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on a line 4-4 of Figural}; v g

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectionalview of the toe of the switch to'ngu and-showingthe connectionior the connecting 1 d): .7

tiger-e 6 is-a side elevational view of the-switch tongue;:- 1 r g t 5 ure- 7 is atop plan view thereof;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the guard rail showing the slot in which the connecting rod works;

Figure 9 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on a line 99 of Figure 1; and

Figures 10 and 11 are transverse sectional views taken respectively on the lines l0|0 and ll--ll of Figure 6.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates the outside stock rail of a railway switch construction and 6 the inside guard rail and between which the switch tongue I swings in the usual manner.

The tongue comprises a base flange 8, a web 9 and a head ID, the flange 8 tapering toward the toe H of the tongue from a point indicated at I2 adjacent its heel, the front end l3 of the flange ending rearwardly of toe ll Web 9 is provided at each side with reinforcing bars l4 3 "a claims; (01. 24am) and i5 weldedvor otherwise suitablysicuredto the web between flange 8 and: head 19; the bars [4- and i5 beingrounded at their upper and lower edges: to conforrhably fit under the head and on the. flange of stock rail 5' andguard rail 6 as shown in" Figure 4.: The bars 14" and I5 are of uniform thickness and extend from dpdiiit indicated at I 6 adjacent the heel of the tongu to the: extren'iityof. the toe. 1 1 1 5.: Head l9 orvtongu'el tapersgrromra point-in: dicated at I8 iorwardlyofitherearrerrdsa ofi bars; H: and Hi to. theztoe H so that; at; the toe: of: th'etongue the head. merges to' .thes appfoximat'e width of web- 9 and at the-extremity of. the toe the head 10 is? beveledxat eachside toa', pointsl-9 for closely fitting in the: angles 20 and. of" outsidestock: rail 5 and inside guard. rail 6; as; shcwrrim Figure 3.7 e e J Fish plates 22 and 23- are secured-at the outside of stock rails and guard rail Eat the rail; joints at the heel of tongue 1 by bolts 24 which also. extend through filler blocks 25 and which form: plates at the, inside of rails and G: as Well as form-ing fish plates at the opposite. sides of lead rail: 21 leading rearwardly-fromtongue .1;

The filler block 2-5 tapers toward its front end,-, as showninFi'gure z'and filler blocks: 25 and '262 are formed with extensions or tongues 2-8.-an-d- 2-9 attheir front ends'between whieh'the heel portion 30 of web 9 of tongue I is loosely positioned and held therein by a pin al a-11d withthe heel portion of base vflange}! underlying the tongues 28 81116. 29.. Tongue 28 is inclined towardoutside stock rail 5 to enable switch tongue I to swing horizontally on pin 3| toward the stock rail and extension or tongue 29 is inclined a similar degree toward guard rail 6 to enable horizontal swinging movement of switch tongue 1 in that direction. This inclination of extensions 28 and 29 is identical to adapt the same to either a right or left hand turnout.

The web of guard rail 6 is formed with an opening 32 for the insertion of pin 3| and open--v ing 32 is boxed on the outside, as indicated at 33.

The switch tongue I is swung from side to side by means of a connecting rod 34 to the end 01 which an internally threaded thimble 35 is welded and in which a bolt 36 is threaded and passing freely through an opening 31 in web 9 of the switch tongue to hold thimble 35 against the inner side of switch point II, while the head 38 of the bolt is tightened against the outerside of the switch point. Head 38 is recessed in a square opening 39 in reinforcing bar ll.-

the front end of base flange 8 to support the front end of the tongue.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in 2,607,002; I-JTT 4 ing from the tip of the tongue to a point reafwardly of the front terminus of the flange, and means pivotally connecting the rear end of the tongue to a. lead rail.

3. A railway switch comprising a switch tongue including a base flange, a web and a head, said flange terminating rearwardly of the front end of the tongue and said head tapering toward the front end of the tongue to a width corresponding substantially to the width of the web, said head being beveled at opposite sides to'a point at the tip of the tongue, longitudinal reinforcing bars secured to the sides of the web and extending from the tip of the tongue to a point rearwardly of the front terminus of the flange spaced forwardly of the rear end of the tongue, and rear- Wardly of the tapered portion of the head, and

this art. A more detailed description is accord ingly deemed unnecessary. Y

It is to be understood, however, that even though there'is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same isv susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of'the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention,. what is claimed as new is:

, 1. A railway switch comprising a switch tongue including a base flange, a web and a head, said flangeterminating rearwardly of'the frontend of vthe tongue and-said headat the heel portion of the tongue corresponding in width to that of the head of a standard rail and tapering symmetrically towardthe front end of the tongue from a point spaced forwardly of the rear end of the tongue to a width corresponding substantially to the width'of the web, said headbeing beveled at opposite sides to a point at the tip of the tongue, and means pivotally connecting the rear end of the tongue to a lead rail.

2. A railway switch comprising a switch tongue including a base flange, a web and'a head, said flange terminating rearwardly of the front end of the tongue and tapering toward the front end of the tongue from a point spaced forwardly means pivotally connecting the rear end of the tongue to a lead rail.

4. In a railway switch, a switch tongue, and means connecting the rear end of the tongue to a lead rail for swinging movement of the tongue spaced tongues connecting the rear end of the switch tongue thereto for swinging movement of the front e'ndof the switch tongue toward either the stock or guard rail.

5. The combination of claim- 4 wherein said switch tongue is symmetrical in shape for interchangeable use with either a right or left hand switch turnout.

EUGENE O. HUMPHREY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 433,934 Duggan Aug. 12, 1890 949,120 Hein Feb. 15, 1910 1,132,779 Krauss Mar. 23,- 1915 1,452,019 Asselin Apr. 17, 1923 Swift Sept. 7, 1926 

